The 93% Impact of Nonverbal Communication

How do we send, receive and evaluate messages? Is the message you want to send, the message that is likely to be received? Studies show that spoken words account for only 7% of the total meaning of our communication; 93% of communication is nonverbal!

Verbal versus Nonverbal Communication

Albert Mehrabian, Ph.D., is known for his studies on the relative importance of verbal and nonverbal communication. He formulated the 7%-38%-55% rule: 7% of the total meaning of our communication is from spoken words, 38% is from vocal variables (such as voice tone) and 55% is visual (such as facial expressions). According to Mehrabian, wordless messages impact 93% of our communication effectiveness. Please note that some studies refute this formula, however, it is clear that you should be very conscious of nonverbal communications.

Your actions, attitude and intentions are often more important than what you say. Naturally, this applies to both your personal and professional relationships.

Take an objective and honest look at yourself and others. Are you fully present with yourself and the person you are with? Are you sending, or receiving, conflicting messages? If you observe yourself in a closed body position, such as having your arms crossed, are you willing to uncross your arms and see what happens? If you notice that someone’s body posture is closed, are you willing to open up a dialogue? For example, “ I sense that you might be uncomfortable, is that accurate?”